Scarborough: Because of Media Matters, "we decided to call [Giuliani] 'America's Mayor' about 48 times"

Summary: Joe Scarborough stated on the February 1 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe: "Media Matters actually gets very agitated when we call [former New York City Mayor] Rudy Giuliani 'America's Mayor.' In fact, they did a whole post on us calling Rudy 'America's Mayor,' so we decided to call him 'America's Mayor' about 48 times."

On the February 1 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough referred to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as "America's Mayor" and later asserted: "Media Matters actually gets very agitated when we call Rudy Giuliani 'America's Mayor.' In fact, they did a whole post on us calling Rudy 'America's Mayor.' " Scarborough continued: "[S]o we decided to call him 'America's Mayor' about 48 times" on the January 31 edition of Morning Joe.

Media Matters for America noted that Scarborough referred to Giuliani as America's Mayor on both the January 29 and January 30 editions of Morning Joe. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, media figures have repeatedly used the label "America's Mayor" when referring to Giuliani, despite criticism over his actions before and after the attacks. Media Matters recently released a video compilation documenting Fox News anchors, correspondents, and contributors repeatedly referring to Giuliani as "America's Mayor."

Earlier in the broadcast, during the "News You Can't Use" segment of the program, co-host Willie Geist reported on Buddy, a dog that reportedly ate his owner's Super Bowl tickets, and said: "The man has now, though, been told -- we can report -- that he can replace the tickets. So Buddy will no longer have to watch the Super Bowl at Michael Vick's place." After the segment, Scarborough asked Geist if he would "apologize now ... [j]ust say the Michael Vick thing was a joke so PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] doesn't come and ... try to get us all." Scarborough later added, "[W]ho does that? Media Matters or Dogs Matter ... or who attacks you?"

From the February 1 edition of MSNBC's Morning Joe:

GEIST: In other animal-related Super Bowl news, a dog named Buddy in some trouble in Arizona this morning because he ate a pair of his owner's $900 Super Bowl tickets. A courier slipped a package containing the tickets under the door -- the dog thought it was a treat. Buddy's owner came home to find only a few tiny pieces of those tickets remaining.

SCARBOROUGH: Oh, my God.

GEIST: The man has now, though, been told -- we can report -- that he can replace the tickets. So Buddy will no longer have to watch the Super Bowl at Michael Vick's place.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI (co-host): Ohh, stop it, Willie. That's terrible.

GEIST: I think it's important to point out -- important.

BRZEZINSKI: That's not good.

GEIST: Finally --

BRZEZINSKI: He didn't do that.

[...]

SCARBOROUGH: Willie, will you apologize now? Just say the Michael Vick thing was a joke so PETA doesn't come and --

BRZEZINSKI: Yeah.

SCARBOROUGH: -- try to get us all.

BRZEZINSKI: You didn't mean that.

GEIST: Yeah, it's was terrible. I feel terrible.

SCARBOROUGH: What's that?

BRZEZINSKI: Apologize now.

GEIST: I feel terrible.

BRZEZINSKI: Yeah.

SCARBOROUGH: OK. Willie's apologized.

GEIST: Yeah.

BRZEZINSKI: Thank you, Willie.

SCARBOROUGH: So, who does that? Media Matters or Dogs Matter --

GEIST: No, actually --

SCARBOROUGH: -- or who attacks you?

GEIST: -- I don't apologize.

SCARBOROUGH: You don't?

GEIST: No.

SCARBOROUGH: You don't apologize?

GEIST: Not in the least.

SCARBOROUGH: All right, you may be the one --

GEIST: Wonderful.

SCARBOROUGH: You may be the one watching the Super Bowl with Michael Vick.

[...]

JAY LENO (Tonight Show host) [video clip]: You guys are on opposite sides again! Why that, that lasted --

BRZEZINSKI: That looked like fun.

SCARBOROUGH: Willie, that was America's Mayor.

GIEST: That was -- uh, you know what?

SCARBOROUGH: By the way, I need to clean that up.

BRZEZINSKI: Yeah.

SCARBOROUGH: You know why? Because I actually had some Rudy people thinking I was making fun of Rudy Giuliani.

GEIST: Oh, no, no, no.

BRZEZINSKI: No, you weren't.

SCARBOROUGH: Not at all. Media Matters actually gets very agitated when we call Rudy Giuliani "America's Mayor." In fact, they did a whole post on us calling Rudy "America's Mayor," so we decided to call him "America's Mayor" about 48 times.

GEIST: Yeah.

BRZEZINSKI: OK, so that was the big thing.

GEIST: You know what? Our --

SCARBOROUGH: Because if that really is all they have to worry about, then they really don't have a whole lot of stuff to talk about. I'm sure the donors are glad they're worried about that.

—M.G.